Pretty tins and the canned fish inside them make for fresh summer dishes that can transport you from the back garden to the Medterranean or Atlantic coast. Mackerel, tuna, sardines and anchovies have been storecupboard staples for over 200 years, now enjoying a renaissance – good for you too.
Serves 4
300g Sourdough bread, 2–3 days old, cut into cubes
300g mixed tomatoes
1 small cucumber, peeled, sliced and cubed
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Small jar mixed olives
1 x 50g tin anchovies, drained and cut into small pieces
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for the bread)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Bunch of basil, torn into pieces
1 Preheat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C/Gas 6. Add the cubed sourdough to a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season. Bake for 10 mins until golden, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
2 Add the tomatoes to a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave for 5 mins. Then add the cucumber, onion, olives and anchovies and mix.
3 Add the bread and pour over the olive oil and vinegar, followed by salt, pepper and the torn basil. Mix together thoroughly, taste, and adjust the oil or vinegar as needed. Serve with fresh basil as a garnish
This recipe is one of the ideas from Catherine Frawley’s feature, Changing Your Tuna, in our July issue, which includes several recipes for tinned fish, including Mackerel Burgers, Nicoise Salad, Spaghetti with Sardines and Capers and Sardine Traybake.
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